A fresh start

In 1932, Sophie Beyers built a giant barn on her father’s farm Tonisfontein between Franschhoek and Paarl, and inscribed the date and her initials on the gable. In later years, the town folk of Simondium held debate evenings and dances there but the floorboards couldn’t quite cope with the latter, which meant they were a bit of a creaky affair.

Nearly 84 years later, Vicki Bell walked into the barn and declared: yes, yes, yes! “That gable with the initials SB... It stole my heart